Mission & Objectives
Mission
The mission of the Institute of Forensic Sciences is to integrate forensic science with public law, justice, and governance by promoting the responsible and effective use of scientific evidence in legal, administrative, regulatory, humanitarian, environmental, and public‑policy processes.
Operating within the EPLO framework, the Institute advances justice, accountability, institutional transparency, human rights, and environmental protection through reliable, ethical, standardized, and internationally harmonized forensic practices.
Recognizing that forensic science extends far beyond criminal justice, the Institute supports its application in areas such as environmental governance, digital integrity, public health, disaster victim identification, anti‑corruption mechanisms, and evidence‑based public administration.
Objectives
The main objectives of the Institute are to:
• Conduct multidisciplinary research linking forensic science, public law, governance, and institutional accountability.
• Promote the use of scientific evidence in legal, administrative, environmental, humanitarian, and regulatory processes.
• Develop graduate, postgraduate, and professional education programs in forensic science, law, governance, and public policy.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity-building to governments, public institutions, forensic laboratories, universities, and regulatory bodies.
• Promote harmonized forensic standards, evidence-handling procedures, chain-of-custody protocols, and legal admissibility frameworks.
• Strengthen cooperation between forensic scientists, legal experts, public authorities, academic institutions, laboratories, and international organizations.
• Support EPLO’s broader mission by adding a scientific and evidence-based dimension to public law, governance, and institutional reform.
Activities & Services
The Institute will operate as a research, education, advisory, and capacity-building body within the EPLO framework. Its activities will be developed in close cooperation with EPLO branches, institutes, academic partners, public authorities, and international organizations.
Research & Policy
The Institute conducts applied and comparative research on forensic legislation, evidence standards, and forensic governance. It develops model procedures, scientific reports, policy papers, and contributes to European and international efforts toward harmonized forensic standards.
Education & Training
It offers graduate and professional training for legal, scientific, and institutional audiences, including certificate programs, executive education, seminars, workshops, and interdisciplinary courses combining forensic science, law, ethics, and governance.
Advisory Services
The Institute provides expert guidance to governments, public authorities, forensic laboratories, courts, universities, and international organizations. Areas include forensic infrastructure, laboratory governance, chain‑of‑custody systems, regulatory reform, environmental and public‑health forensics, disaster victim identification, and forensic auditing.
Scientific & Policy Events
Through conferences, symposia, expert meetings, and joint events with EPLO partners, the Institute serves as a hub for dialogue among forensic scientists, legal experts, policymakers, and public institutions.
Thematic Areas
Its work spans key forensic disciplines, including:
- Criminalistics
- Humanitarian & Disaster Forensics
- Forensic Law & Policy
- Environmental Forensics
- Digital & Cyber Forensics
- Forensic Toxicology & Public Health
- Financial & Forensic Auditing
Advisory Unit
A dedicated Advisory Unit supports institutions with technical assistance, expert opinions, guidelines, training modules, and capacity‑building across all forensic domains.
International Orientation
With strong global partnerships across universities, forensic institutions, international organizations, and scientific networks, the Institute reinforces EPLO’s role as a platform where science, law, governance, and public accountability converge.
Leadership
Director: Prof. Dr. Ersi Kalfoglou
Prof. Dr. Ersi Kalfoglou is a distinguished forensic scientist with extensive academic, scientific, and institutional experience in forensic sciences, forensic genetics, and legal medicine. She has played a leading role in the development of forensic science education and research, with long-standing involvement in academic institutions, scientific organizations, and international cooperation initiatives.
Her work focuses particularly on forensic genetics, forensic science education, laboratory development, scientific capacity-building, and the integration of forensic expertise into legal and institutional processes. She has contributed to the advancement of forensic sciences through teaching, research, professional training, scientific leadership, and international collaboration. Within the Institute of Forensic Science, Prof. Dr. Kalfoglou will provide scientific and institutional leadership, guiding the Institute’s development as an international platform for forensic science, public law, governance, and evidence-based institutional accountability.
Deputy Director: Prof. Nikolas P. Lemos
Prof. Nikolas P. Lemos is an internationally recognized forensic toxicologist and Professor of Forensic Medical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London. His work focuses on analytical and forensic toxicology, forensic medical sciences, alcohol and drug analysis, postmortem toxicology, toxicological interpretation, and forensic laboratory practice. He has held senior academic and professional roles in Europe and the United States and has contributed extensively to forensic science through research, teaching, expert practice, publications, and international professional activities.
As Deputy Director of the Institute of Forensic Science, Prof. Lemos will contribute to the Institute’s scientific strategy, educational programs, forensic toxicology activities, laboratory standards, and international cooperation initiatives.
Scientific Committee
The Institute will be supported by an international Scientific Committee composed of experts from forensic science, forensic medicine, toxicology, criminalistics, humanitarian forensics, environmental governance, law, and related fields.
Members
• Ashraf Mozayani, USA
• Bledar Xhemali, Albania
• Calin Scripcaru, Romania
• Dan Perju-Dumbrava, Romania
• Duarte Nuno Vieira, Portugal
• Elif Günçe Eskiköy, Canada
• Emilio Nuzzolese, Italy
• Eva Montanari, Italy
• Gavril Petridis, Greece
• George Kremlis, Greece
• Hülya Yükseloğlu, Türkiye
• John Clark, United Kingdom
• Kurt Trubner, Germany
• Mirnela Kocibelli, Albania
• Naim Uka, Kosovo
• Nermin Sarajlic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Nikolaos Lemos, United Kingdom
• Peter Vanezis, United Kingdom
• Şebnem Özcan, Türkiye
• Sotirios Kalfoglou Greece
• Stefano D’Errico, Italy
• Sven Benthaus, Germany
• Virginia Lynch, USA
• Yanko Kolev, Bulgaria